District 11/2/4 Big School Power Ranking: Week 3

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I had a tough time sorting out teams 2-5 this week. Parkland is the clear #1, but we have just enough data to misinterpret on the other four teams. Ultimately, I went Wyoming Valley West (who has the best combination of performance and expecatations), Liberty (win over Becahi is the best of any contender), Easton (dominated a presumably good Emmaus team) then Freedom (preseason favorite, but struggled mightily with Nazareth). Lots in flux and week three should bring more clarity as we get more EPC South match ups.

1. Parkland (2-0)
Last Week: Parkland ruined Northampton’s first home game in two years by crushing the Konkrete Kids 35-0 at newly renovated Al Erdosy Stadium. Parkland scored four touchdowns in the first half and called the dogs off after opening the second half with a touchdown drive to put the mercy rule in effect. After a quiet first game against Dieruff, Kenny Yeboah caught 10 passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns in the first half of this one. Devante Cross finished with a typically excellent line of 19-26 for 219 yards and 4 touchdowns. Cross also ran for 75 yards. Once again, it was a lot of short drops and quick hitters on slants and comeback routes. His touchdowns came on a nice sprint out back shoulder throw, a seam route on four verts, and a pair of red zone fades to Yeboah. Parkland’s defense also held the Northampton offense to 26 yards on 22 carries and just 99 yards for the game in the shutout.

Through Two Games: Parkland has crushed inferior competition. What we know is that the offense is going to be high tempo, and Cross wants to either get the ball out of his hands quickly or take off and run. Cross looks to have improved his speed in the offseason, and is really a home run threat with the ball in his hand. He threatened 1,000 yards as a sophomore and a junior, and I think he blows past it this year. What I am starting to wonder is if Parkland has a guy who can stretch the field in the passing game. They’ve been content to dink and dunk down the field against the Dieruffs and Northamptons of the world, but it remains to be seen if there is a speed guy who can get down the field and take the top off of a defense. Yeboah would be the most logical candidate, but virtually all of his catches this season have been on screens, comeback routes, or fades in the red zone. He did have one long reception against Northampton where they totally whiffed on jamming him at the line, so maybe they’re just taking what the defense gives them for the time being.

This Week: Parkland hosts Allentown Central Catholic, in the only match up of undefeated teams in the EPC this week. ACC has a Parkland transfer, Ethan Persa, starting at quarterback, so he should be very familiar with the defenses the Trojans are throwing at him. Of course, that’s a two way street. ACC will be a step up from the teams Parkland has played so far, but they remain a decided favorite and likely won’t be tested until an October 9th trip to BASD Stadium against Liberty.

2. Wyoming Valley West (2-0)
Last Week: The Spartans beat nemesis Delaware Valley 30-6 thanks to a suffocating defensive performance and a big night on the ground from Sean Judge and quarterback Aaron Austin. Judge ran for 110 yards and a touchdown and Austin added 82 yards and two scores, plus 96 through the air. But the big story was the WVW defense, which held Del Val to just 18 yards of total offense in the first half, effectively putting the game out of reach by halftime with an insurmountable 20-0 lead..

Through Two Games: WVW looks like one of the best teams to come out of District 2 since the subregional merger in 2004. They didn’t throw the ball as much Friday against Del Val, but they have real weapons at receiver and a mix of both size and speed on offense. Quarterback Aaron Austin has filled in nicely in his first two games as a starter, with a big game through the air in week one and a big game on the ground in week two. I expect the Spartans to be undefeated come playoff time.

This Week: Wyoming Valley West will be heavily favored against winless Pittston. This one is a tune up for a week four match up with Berwick.

3. Liberty (2-0)
Last Week: Liberty took care of business against William Allen in an uneventful 56-6 route. Three of Doug Erney’s six completions went for touchdowns and the Liberty starters were out by halftime. Victor Santiago has emerged as Erney’s primary target at receiver, catching four passes on Friday. The little slot receiver is great with the ball in his hands and Liberty’s spread maximizes his talents.

Through Two Games: Liberty takes the number three spot because they have the best win of anybody in this tier. Rankings are certainly fluid, but it looks like Liberty is going to have a very dangerous passing game and can get pressure with just four guys on defense. Not many expected them to beat Bethlehem Catholic, let alone had 500 yards of offense against them. Erney is clearly the guy that John Truby spoke so highly of in the preseason. He’s been a "volume" player his first few years, but looks every bit the part of a standout quarterback so far in 2015.

This Week: Liberty travels to Nazareth for the EPC Game of the Week..

4. Easton (2-0)
Last Week: Easton dominated in a 49-7 win on the road at Emmaus. Tailback Nysir Minney-Gratz was electric, scoring touchdowns of 80, 83 and 5 yards on his way to a 205 yard night on just ten carries. The 83 yarder was particularly impressive due to left tackle Craig Stahlecker running with Minney-Gratz and making a block 70 yards downfield to finish the run. Emmaus RB Kyle Boney got his yards, finishing with 151 on 27 carries (including all 76 on Emmaus’s only TD drive), but Easton held the rest of Emmaus’s team to 45 yards on 30 plays.

Through Two Games: Easton is really undersized (no starter on either side of the ball weighs more than 225 pounds) but everybody from the cornerbacks to the offensive linemen can run like hell (as evidenced by the aforementioned Stahlecker block). All that speed has led to huge scoring plays. Against Emmaus, Easton scored on runs of 83, 80, and 60 yards, a 77 yard punt return, a 45 yard fumble recovery, and a 31 yard pass. Their lone touchdown "drive" started at the Emmaus 40 after an interception and featured a 35 yard run by Minney-Gratz on the first play. Against Pleasant Valley, they scored touchdowns on 59 and 33 yard runs and a 60 yard punt return, and set their other TDs up with 50 yard free kick return after a safety, a forced fumble at the 15, and a 40 yard pass down to the 2 after an interception. This is certainly exciting as a fan. However, it’s not always going to be that easy. We’ll see how Easton can put together sustained drives when pushed. On the other side of the ball, the defense has been lights out as anticipated. They’ve forced six turnovers (plus a safety), have seven sacks and three interceptions on 31 drop backs by their opponents, and have given up just two offensive touchdowns. They’re not big, but they’re physical and swarm to the football.

Next Game: Easton hosts Northampton, who have beaten the Red Rovers five times in forty years. This is a perfect opportunity for Easton to get their passing game on track, and I’d love to see the Red Rovers put it in the air 25 times on Friday.

5. Freedom (2-0)
Last Week: Freedom was pushed to the limit by a pesky Nazareth team. The hero was Roberto Diez, who rushed for 169 yards and 3 touchdowns, including the game winner with 1:47 left to play. More importantly, when Nazareth took a 27-24 lead with 5:52 to play, Diez returned the ensuing kickoff all the way to the Nazareth 34 and set up the short field for the winning touchdown. Freedom’s passing game was not sharp against the Blue Eagles, and they pounded the rock with Diez in the second half. Their defense was able to shut down Nazareth’s running game holding Nazareth to 35 yards on 22 carries, but had trouble containing Nazareth’s Jahan Dotson and Julian Liaci, who combined for 14 catches for 248 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Through Two Weeks: The Freedom defense is getting takeaways at an alarming rate again. ESS turned the ball over 7 times in the opening week, and Freedom forced another 2 turnovers Friday, including a game winning interception with 35 seconds left. They run defense has been phenomenal as opponents are averaging just 1.9 yards per carry. The pass defense has been a mixed bag, as they’ve given up 223 yards per game through the air, but also have four interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns. Joe Young has not been as sharp as anticipated, which could be to the layoff after the injury or the fact that he’s breaking in new receivers and has lots of production to replace with the graduation of Kylon Pretty and Jake Young. However, Diez looks like he’s really come into his own and is going to be a bell-cow for the offense.

Next Week: The aforementioned run defense will be tested by Kyle Boney and Emmaus. Freedom doesn’t quite have the team speed of Easton, but can match Emmaus with physicality on the lines, particularly with monster defensive ends Cordell Cotto and Joshua Ortiz. They’ll also be licking their chops for takeaways, as Emmaus has been loose with the football early in the season. Offensively, Diez has to look at the box score from last week and get excited, but I’d also expect they’ll want Joe Young to throw a lot early and keep the big Emmaus defense on their toes.

 

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6. Bethlehem Catholic (1-1)
Last Week: Becahi crushed Pleasant Valley to the tune of 54-21. Running back Antuwon Keenan was the start of the show, piling up 176 yards on just 10 carries and scoring five first half touchdowns, including a 94 yard scamper. Keenan missed most of last season with an injury, but is a compact, physical back who is expected to be a major weapon for the Golden Hawks. On the night, Becahi rushed for 399 yards against the clearly overmatched Bears. Julian Spigner was an efficient 13-18 for 187 yards and a touchdown, spearing the ball around to six different receivers. Outside of a 52 yard touchdown, Becahi’s defense contained PV running back Austyn Borre and they completely took away the passing game, allowing just 5 completions in 14 attempts and picking off two passes.

Through Two Weeks: Becahi is really talented and has weapons at just about every position on both offense and defense. That’s what makes the week one loss to Liberty so frustrating. Becahi was kind enough to spot the Hurricanes a 39-13 lead before furiously but unsuccessfully coming back in the fourth quarter. The rest of their schedule is light, at best, and they should be able to roll to a 9-1 regular season. But the one data point that is really valuable was not positive, even if it was the opening week. Wide receiver Nate Stewart, a refugee from now closed Pius X, has been fantastic, catching 7 passes for 233 yards and 3 touchdowns in the first two weeks. Quarterback Julian Spigner has been good, but there is a feeling that he could break out and put up some really silly numbers over the final 8 weeks. Defensively, the Golden Hawks have to get better at the little things, like tackling, containing the quarterback, and staying disciplined on play action. But there is tons of ability there, and they still are the decided favorite in 3A and the EPC North.

This Week: Becahi hosts Pocono Mountain West, who has an exceedingly long bus ride to get their heads pounded in.

7. Saucon Valley (2-0)
Last Week: Saucon Valley won a hard fought game against the always competitive and physical Northern Lehigh Bulldogs, 28-14. Running back Evan Culver broke loose on a 64 yard touchdown run on a 3rd and 2 on the final play of the third quarter to give the Panthers a 21-14 lead. Northern Lehigh marched right down the field on the ensuing drive and was inside the 10 with a chance to tie, but SV forced a fumble and recovered it at the four yard line. Three plays later, quarterback Zach Thatcher took a quarterback draw 83 yards to the house and that was all she wrote. The Panthers were just the more explosive team, and got huge efforts on the ground from Culver (34 carries for 222 yards and 3 touchdowns) and Thatcher (14 carries for 184 yards and 1 touchdown) on their way to 495 yards of total offense.

Through Two Weeks: Saucon Valley is lurking as the 3A challenger to Bethlehem Catholic. They’re not going to face the same size and explosiveness they’ll eventually see in the Golden Hawks, but they have two wins over physical, disciplined football teams. Culver could play in any league, and he’s a strong bet for a 2,000 yard season. But the difference is Thatcher, a tough, dual threat quarterback who gives the Panthers an extra dimension on offense in his second year as a starter.

This Week: Saucon Valley takes on next door neighbor and arch rival Southern Lehigh. Spartan quarterback Blake Livengood has thrown just as many touchdowns (7) as incompletions (24-31) and All State receiver Ethan Price has 10 catches for 338 yards in their high powered offense. It’s a classic match up of power and speed between two schools that don’t like each other very much.

8. Nazareth (1-1)
Last Week: When Jahan Dotson took a simple wide receiver screen 80 yards to the house to give Nazareth a 27-24 lead with a little under six minutes to play, the upset alert could not have been ringing louder. Even after giving up the go-ahead touchdown on the next drive, Dotson returned the kick out to the 50, and it felt like the upset was in the cards for Tom Falzone’s bunch. An overthrown pick ended the upset bid, but it was the most promising game for Nazareth in years. Sophomores Dotson and Julian Liaci are both legitimate 4.5 runners and gave Freedom’s defense fits, particularly Dotson, who caught 8 passes for 163 yards with a touchdown and an interception in the biggest game of his young career. Because they don’t have the same kind of physicality on the offensive and defensive lines, Nazareth doesn’t have much margin for error, which showed in the second half where Freedom just pounded inside runs to Roberto Diez.

Through Two Weeks: Nazareth has a pair of weapons on offense that they are taking full advantage of. Liaci and Dotson are both in the top 20 in the state in receptions and yards, combining for 25 catches, 418 yards, and 4 touchdowns in two games. Quarterback Travis Stefanik has executed incredibly well. He has some physical limitations (Stefanik wrestled 138 last winter and there’s only so much football strength you can put on that frame), but he makes the right reads, and most importantly, gets the ball out quickly. Dotson could not be more impressive, as he runs a full tree of routes and has a knack for getting open beyond just his athleticism (which is immense). Liaci is more of a track guy playing football (as a freshman he finished 6th at the PIAA state meet in the 100), but oh my can he turn on the jets. On his TD against Freedom, he needed one block and a short completion went to the house. They do not really have a running game to speak up, but essentially use quick passes and screens to Liaci and Dotson as long handoffs, because teams play them deep, afraid they’ll run right past them.

This Week: See EPC Game of the Week thread for a breakdown of their match up with Liberty.

9. Allentown Central Catholic (2-0)
Last Week: The Vikings moved to 2-0 for the first time since their state championship in 2010 with a 35-23 win over Whitehall. Running back Darnell Ferrell went over 100 yards for the second time this year with 113 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries. But the story of the game was ACC’s defense and special teams, which forced four turnovers and scored two touchdowns. Dallas Kassis swung momentum early when he thrwarted a Whitehall red zone trip by picking off a pass in the end zone and returning it all the way out past midfield. Tom Kleippinger had a pick six in the first half to give ACC a lead they would never relinquish. After Whitehall cut the lead to 21-17, Alvin Pachecho returned the ensuing kick off for an 80 yard touchdown to give the Vikings some breathing room. And Kassis was the hero late, while clinging to a 28-23 lead, he intercepted a Gianni Sinatore pass to stifle the Whitehall comeback bid, then caught a touchdown pass to put the game out of reach.

Through Two Games: ACC has a lot of weapons, with Ferrell, Pacheco, and Kassis all real threats with the ball in their hands. Ferrell has been the early star, with 233 yards and 3 touchdowns in their first two games. Kassis has ten catches and Pacheco is the fastest man on the roster, and averages 11 yards per caryy and 15 yards per catch, plus has the special teams TD. Head coach John Cupples has noted they have more depth than in years past, which is paying huge dividends on defense. They have a major uptick in their schedule now, with consecutive games against Parkland, Easton, and Freedom so we’ll get to see if those improvements have really stuck.

This Week: ACC tangles with Parkland in a homecoming of sorts for offensive coordinator Rob Melosky, who coached Parkland to a state title in 2002. The Vikings have been very ground oriented early, which is a recipe for diaster against Parkland and their physical front seven. Quarterback Ethan Persa was the backup to Devante Cross last season, and will need to have a big game against his former teammates. He certainly has the weapons on the perimeter and Melosky has proved adept at drawing up schemes to get the ball in the hands of his playmakers (look no further than his wide open offenses at Nazareth). Defensively, ACC needs to be prepared for the tempo and onslaught of Parkland’s passing game, which they have the defensive backs to combat if they can get some pressure on Cross.

10. Williamsport (2-0)
Last Week: Another 520 yards of offense and 50 points for Williamsport as they beat Mifflin County 41-15. That matches last season’s win total by the Millionaires through two games. A big night from running back Elliott Walker (16 carries, 143 yards) keyed the win. Walker showed some real promise as a sophomore, and really adds a dimension to their fun ‘n gun offense if he can run the ball consistently.

Through Two Weeks: Wide receiver Jerah Reeves is tied for the state Quad-A lead in catches with 16 for 270 yards. Isaiah Hankins has been surgical through the air, completing 66% of his passes for 515 yards, 4 touchdowns, and no interceptions. Elliott Walker is averaging almost ten yards per carry, and as a team, the Millionaires as a team are averaging 7.5 yards per carry. All told, Williamsport is averaging over 500 yards per game and has scored 89 points in two games. Lot of offense. The schedule beefs up from here, but with Delaware Valley and Hazleton each taking losses last week, Williamsport has some control over their own destiny for the second available subregional spot to D2/4 teams.

This Week: Williamsport takes on Abington Heights, who forced 4 turnovers in a great defensive effort in a win over Crestwood last weekend. This will be a challenge for the high flying Millionaires, but it’s the kind of game they’ll need to win to get back to the subregional playoffs for the first time in years.